Emerson Knabenshue and Party Favours Seize the Day in Las Vegas
Many exhibitors don’t want to go first for their pattern. Emerson Knabenshue wasn’t daunted by her “first in the draw” order of go in Friday’s L1 Youth 14-18 Western Horsemanship, however.
Not only did she enter the arena first, but she seized the opportunity to earn a unanimous championship with Party Favours in a class of 30 tough teams!
After her class at the 2025 AQHA West L1 Championships, Emerson explains she was caught off guard by the unanimous announcement, as well as the score of 260. “But it was really cool,” she says, as she smiles aboard a mare who is clearly her partner. “I got her two years ago and I love her so much. We’re leasing her, and she’s the best.”
For short, they call the beautiful mare “Shania,” which Emerson explains is a very bougie name. “And she’s a very bougie horse. She definitely lives up to the name Shania. You have to say all syllables. She doesn’t settle for anything less.”
Emerson adds that Shania is just amazing, and she does everything really beautifully. “But she also has a beautiful personality 99% of the time, and then there’s the other 1%. Her owner and I like to say, sweet, salty, spicy. So there’s 1% that it is spicy, but 99% of the time she’s very sweet,” Emerson explains, which aligns with her own personality very well.
“She’s super cool, and anything you ask her to do, she’ll do it – she’s always down for whatever you say.”
The AQHA West L1 Championships has been a memorable one for the pair, also placing Reserve in L1 Youth Performance Halter Mares, and with Top Five finishes in L1 Youth 14-18 Showmanship and L1 Youth 14-18 Western Pleasure.
As the daughter of the Knabenshues, Emerson admits she has had projects to ride at times, so having Shania has been fun to have a super cool horse.
To her parents, Emerson says, “I want to say thank you so much. I know I can be a lot sometimes as your daughter, but you are also amazing trainers and thank you.”
View complete results and scoresheets for her horsemanship class:
L1 Youth Horsemanship 14-18 Results
